VEALE, WILLIAM

Aragorn Storm Miller

VEALE, WILLIAM (1833–1899). William Veale (also spelled Veal), attorney, judge, and state representative, was born in Perry County, Tennessee, on June 14, 1833. He was the son of John Veale and Susan Rayfield. Veale spent his early childhood in Tennessee, and his family migrated to Chickasaw County, Mississippi, between 1842 and 1844. He was in Mississippi in 1850 but moved with his family to Texas by the early 1850s and ultimately settled in Hillsboro in Hill County. He apparently studied law and began his practice in Hillsboro in the 1850s. In 1854 he married Maria Lavenia Cresswell. They had at least eight children that survived to adulthood. In 1861 Veale moved with his family to Navarro County and then settled in Palo Pinto County in 1863. Here he resumed his practice as well as assumed a prominent role in community affairs. He served as county judge and in 1872 won election as representative for District 23—comprised of Bosque, Erath, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Eastland, Stephens, Callahan, Jones, Shackleford, and Taylor counties—to the Thirteenth Texas Legislature. During his term he chaired the Indian Affairs Committee. The Veale family relocated once again about 1878, this time to Breckenridge in Stephens County. Veale himself continued his work as an attorney, and his son Warren joined his law practice in 1889. Veale also undertook another turn as county judge. William Veale returned to Palo Pinto, Texas, in 1896 and died there on November 3, 1899. He was buried in Palo Pinto Cemetery.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Dallas Morning News, June 11, 1899. History of Palo Pinto County, Texas (Dallas: Curtis Media Corporation, 1986). Legislative Reference Library of Texas: William Veal (http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=4831&searchparams=chamber=~city=~countyID=0~RcountyID=~district=~first=~gender=~last=veale~leaderNote=~leg=~party=~roleDesc=~Committee=), accessed October 29, 2014. Members of the Legislature of the State of Texas from 1846 to 1939 (Austin: Texas Legislature, 1939).

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